stinky gasoline smell in enclosed garage
Posted by Kelly
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I would start looking for the easy places first.
Search the fuel pump, under the car to the right, check hoses and clamps there. On the engine bay, look up for the fuel filter, follow the hoses to the injector rail, fuel pressure regulator etc, check all hoses and clamps. In case no leaks are found there, there is the rear. Check the filler pipes as rick said, and you may pull the back seat to gain access to the tank below, again check all hoses and clamps. This is very tricky, I have gasoline smell in the Citroen, renewed most hoses and clamps, carburator gaskets and no luck. 
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Kelly, That is priceless! You must have a good boss 
I think Rick may be on to something. But if it turns out not to be the case; you should also check the lines from the evaporative purge cannister which lives under the intake manifold directly below the throttle body. There is a valve that has a hose to the intake manifold and back to the cannister which can come loose. It's easy to miss but get your mechanic to check it anyway. My bet is still on Rick's suggestion 
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What a waste of a perfectly good 318is! Get those O-rings and seals replaced and enjoy it!  Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2013 02:34PM by Jose Pinto. |
AGREED. No E30 deserves to sit and waste away...... 
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Isn't there a law against that? 
alan |
Hagerty took me before my 325 was 25 years old Michiel. 200 bucks a year is a lot better than 1,000.00. just sayin 
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I will let this slide, but I'm watching you! 
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Kelly You need a little more info to get a better idea where that gas smell is coming from; does it get worse (or noticeable when you fill the tank, park on a hill with the car to one side or the other, do you smell gas fumes when the motor is running and or stopped? Even something you don't think relates might help us, them, figure this out. Gas fumes are nothing to take lightly 
Cheers, Rick |
Hi Rick and All, Today Beemie was stinking again in the garage. Before moving it outdoors to fresh air, I started sniffing again. I started with my head under the filler pipe, worked along under the rocker panel moving toward the front end with my head on the ground. The smell is by far the strongest about 4" in front of the passenger door handle and below/under the rocker panel. The smell was OVERWHELMING. I thought surely the gas would drip on my face at any second. But there is nothing to see at all. At this point the tank is 1/4 full according to the dashboard gauge. The smell is always the strongest after I drive to work. The car sits in the garage for at least 20 minutes. Then the smell becomes noticeable. The smell seems worse when the tank is 1/4 full to empty. There is good news on the whirring noise. I'll post that soon. Now what to do next? Thanks, Kelly :-) |
Kelly, If the smell is that strong by the passenger side rocker panel, check the vent lines in the rear passenger wheel well. It's a little farther back that what you're describing, but sometimes smells can travel a bit. There's a fuel vent line that goes from the filler tube to the fuel tank, and it passes through the right rear wheel well, outside the car. If you remove the right rear wheel, you can see a long, thin metal cover that covers these lines. Here's what it looks like after it's removed: 
The biggest one is the vent hose, and it's notorious for rusting through and leaking. Stick your nose back there as close to the inside of the right rear wheel as you can get it. Could that be the source of the smell? The fuel filter and fuel lines run under the left side of the car, so I would not suspect those. But just to rule it out, sniff around just in front of the left rear wheel. That's where the smell would be strongest if the fuel filter or fuel lines were leaking under the car. __________ Dave '91 325iX |
Hi Dave, Bob, Rick, Peter, Jose, Michael, and -All, Leak found at fuel lines at top of tank under back seat. Mechs replaced at 8:30 this evening. I held the carpet back. More later. Thank you, Kelly |
Ahhh, I love it when a plan comes together  Make sure you keep an eye on all the things we've sugested though Kelly; our cars are reaching a certain age and, like brake lines, it all becomes suspect at some point.
Rick |
Hi All, Michiel - sorry for misspelling your name. I was about to literally drop into bed when i posted. I just did not want you all to worry that I had been immolated. Full story - as you noticed before, I posted around noon yesterday. Shortly thereafter, I moved Beemie outdoors to dissipate the smell. I called the mechs who told me to bring the car around in the morning. About 5 pm I changed clothes at the office, because I needed to look polished for a professional association meeting at 6pm. I drove to the meeting and luckily found street parking. I returned to the car around 8:15. When I opened the car door, the gas smell was very strong. Then I opened both doors for maximum airing. After the smell dissipated, I decided to drive directly to the mechs. At worst I could have left Beemie in their parking lot until morning. I said "Beemie, it's only 2.5 miles to the mechs. Let's just arrive in one piece. You've driven 145,000 miles. How about another 2?" The journey was blissfully uneventful. Happily the mechs were working late. I think they repair client's cars during the day and tune theirs at night. First the mech looks under the car. I said "Why don't I clean out the back seat?" I always have an assortment of towels. Ahh, life with a cabrio. The mech pops up the back seat and removes the cover over the fuel pump. Viola - there is the leak. The thick rubber line from the pump is damp. The mech quickly replaces it. I hold back the carpet until the point when he recommend that I step back because the gas might squirt out. Given that I have on nice clothes, I followed his instructions. Fortunately, the gas did not squirt from the line. He asks me to restart the engine. VROOM - we are running smoothly again. I drove home with no problems. This AM, there was a little gas smell in the passenger cabin when I opened the door. I assume this was residual scent from last night. I parked the car in the enclosed garage today. There was no significant gas smell. Yipee!! About 6 years ago, these mechs replaced all the gas lines. I could understand that the little one under the back seat could have been missed. While the gas smell was rather stressful, in the end all was well. Now I know another place to look for gas leaks. I owe you all another post on the whirring noise. I pray this is also now fixed. As a teaser, I will say that the front brake lines are new. Let your imagination run wild! But this is a story for another night. :-) Thanks for keeping us running, Kelly :-) |
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